Homeless Publication

As a recent college graduate from a top business school I now have a fairly lucrative job in the financial district in Boston. My first couple weeks on the job I got hustled by the homeless all the time, often succombing to their sob stories or aggressiveness and forking over a few dollars. After some internet research and realizing that the same people are out there everyday hustling the same crowd, I've grown thicker skin and learned to say no or completely ignore a stranger who approaches me. I become aggravated seeing guys that I gave money to smoking ciggarettes and drinking Starbucks while I work to finish off my loans and put some money in the bank. Enough on this rant... the real reason I created this thread:

In the train stations there are often homeless people selling "Spare Change" Newspaper, the homeless publication of Boston. Along with stories about homelessness and social issues, the paper features poetry and drawings by the homeless, as well as other interesting information. I researched online and found that there are newspapers like this in many major cities, and the deal is the homeless person buys the papers from the publisher for 25 cents, and sells them on the street for a dollar, netting them a 75 cent profit. Are these people who are "working" to make money as opposed to begging worth buying a paper from every week, or am I feeding the next pack of ciggarettes, bottle of booze, or drug fix as I was when I was giving money to random beggars on the street? The idea sounds great, giving the homeless a way to make money besides begging, but are these different people or just more of the same? It's not about the dollar, it's about where the money is really going that I am concerned.

Quote: winmonkeyspit3

I researched online and found that there are newspapers like this in many major cities, and the deal is the homeless person buys the papers from the publisher for 25 cents, and sells them on the street for a dollar, netting them a 75 cent profit.

Would you pay $1 for a newspaper you're not interested in if someone other than a homeless person were selling it?

if you really want to help the homeless that are actually hungry or truly in need,
you could donate to an organization that helps with food and housing.
that would allay your concerns about funding individual drug and alcohol habits,
and alleviate any residual guilt you have for ignoring people claiming to be in need..
and it's deductible

Quote: Nareed

Would you pay $1 for a newspaper you're not interested in if someone other than a homeless person were selling it?

Nope. I did actually find a few interesting articles, it entertained me for about 10-15 minutes on the train.

If it is worth a dollar to you then by all means buy it, if not, it is the same thing as dropping a dollar in his hat.

There's one guy sitting outside of the main supermarket (Safeway) in the University District of Seattle. He basically says the exact same thing to everyone: "Real Change?!?", (Whether you acknowledge or ignore him), "Have a good day sir/madam." This guy is a staple, almost anyone who goes to the UW knows at least of him.

I'm not saying that everyone selling your version of "Real Change" is like this guy, but it's probably better than giving money to any random person on the street.

Real Change Guy, Seattle

The Big Issue is a street paper in the UK sold by the homeless to help themselves get of the streets. If you like left-wing, campaigning journalism and alternative arts and music, it's worth the read. By all accounts, it's worked to help people of the streets. Sellers have to be sober and drug free while selling, are strongly encouraged to be sober and drug free in general. Most of them I spoke to were polite, and you'd see a slow evolution of the them on their spots if it was working out.

Here has a "street news" sold by some of the homeless. It's not worth the paper though.

Quote: thecesspit

If you like left-wing, campaigning journalism and alternative arts and music, it's worth the read. By all accounts, it's worked to help others of the streets.

That's the issue with these papers. As a conservative, I refused to buy Real Change from anyone on principle. I got enough indoctrination in the classroom until I settled into engineering.

Oddly enough though, it's a more socially conservative method of getting people of the streets... not charity, but work.

I often read right wing news and socialist workers papers. Helps me get a wide variety of view points. One of the reasons I hang around here is to see what the republican/conservative American is thinking.

I live in a resort town, and they've installed parking-style meters at the oceanfront so you can donate money that goes to help the homeless. That way you don't have tourists being hassled by panhandlers and the money goes for food and not beer. The program started two years ago and has been expanded once already.